Alas Rotas
by TurboNerd
Summary: The past comes back to haunt Adama. Chapter three up! More to come!
1. Pecados

Disclaimer: _Battlestar Galactica_, its characters and story lines are not my property; I'm making no money from this.

_**Alas Rotas**_

_Chapter One_

_Caprica City - Thirty-seven Years Ago_

It was an unusually hot day but open windows were preferable to the air conditioning to Bill Adama as he drove entirely too fast down the highway into Caprica City. He was angry and the sound of the wind roaring around the speeding car seemed to sweep away the heated words he'd exchanged with his wife, Caroline. As usual, the argument had ended with no resolution and both of them walking away from each other - the marriage was barely three years old and the word "divorce" popped up in nearly every argument. The bottom line was that Caroline didn't like what he was, a military man - she wanted model husband which was something he doubted he could ever be and retain his career. Now that she was pregnant everything he was seemed to be twice as repulsive to her, he was failing as a husband in her eyes, how could he possibly measure up as a father? He hit the gas angrily with this thought and sped dangerously.

_Twenty-nine years later..._

His marriage to Caroline had failed – maybe he knew it would eventually, he wasn't the man she wanted him to be. They'd had two sons together, Lee and Zak, and had tried to make it work for their sake but soon realized that the relationship was unsalvageable. He'd met Anne a few years later and married her. He was keeping a secret from Anne that was poised to break her heart if he let it – now he was driving into Caprica City, searching for relief from the burden of being a liar.

Bill reached his destination, a small apartment complex just within the city limits. They weren't particularly upscale, but they were clean and well-cared for by most of their tenants. He pulled into a parking space next to a building labeled "B". He sat in his car, staring at apartment four, a ground-level unit, contemplating on whether or not to get out. His mind was made up for him when a pair of striking blue eyes attached to a tanned face framed with wavy chocolate hair appeared in the widow of the apartment sporting a toothless grin. He smiled back and got out of the car. He walked a short distance towards the apartment before the door flung open and a gangly eight-year-old girl came running and flung herself into his arms and exclaimed "Daddy!" He picked her up and hugged her tightly.

"Hey, big girl."

He said giving her a final squeeze before setting her down and releasing her. She wrapped her arms around his legs and he ruffled her already messy hair.

"C'mon Daddy, I wanna show you my pictures."

She released his legs, grabbed his hand and led him to the sidewalk which was covered in chalk-drawn multicolored stick figures. He smiled as she babbled on about what each drawing was. He slipped into what seemed a natural duty to him - daddy. Her name was Cassandra and she was the product of an affair he'd had with a former Viper pilot named Charlotte Tevanya, who was in command of the freighter he'd worked on before being reinstated in the Colonial Military. They were friends and their affair and Charlotte's subsequent pregnancy caused her to loose her job aboard the freighter, mainly because she refused to reveal her child's paternity. He never understood why she'd been so loyal to him; gods knew he didn't deserve it. He felt the least he could do was try to be a part of Cassandra's life, but he never found the courage to tell Anne, which made him feel like a bigger bastard. Charlotte never seemed to hold any of it against him despite the fact that she struggled to make ends meet, refusing anything he offered her. He felt he didn't deserve the love that Cassandra gave him blindly - it surged in violent waves from her that broke on his heart and overwhelmed it, and when she wasn't near and the tide subsided, it left a barren place in him that ached.

He reached down suddenly and hugged her. He couldn't hide her anymore. He and Caroline had two sons - Cassandra had a right to know her brothers. His secret would surely break Anne's heart considering Cassandra had been conceived when their marriage wasn't even a year old , but he couldn't punish this little girl anymore. How could he call himself her father? He barely made it out to see her – maybe twice a month. A small hand brushed the tear from his cheek causing another to take its place.

"You ok, daddy?"

Her sweet voice asked. He smiled and took her head in his hands.

"Yes - where's mommy Cassandra?"

"She's taking a nap."

"Will you go wake her up?"

Cassandra nodded and ran into the apartment. She emerged hand in hand with a petite raven-haired woman with stunning green eyes.

"Hey, Bill."

Charlotte was tired and drawn, it made him realize how rude just dropping by was.

"I'm sorry Charlotte - I should have called."

She waved her hand.

"It's ok - she's missed you."

She looked back at Cassandra who was decorating the concrete porch with neon green chalk.

"I can't do this to her anymore. I want to - "

He said abruptly, looking away.

"Bill, we've talked about this -"

"No, it's time I stopped acting like a coward – I visit what? Two, three times a month because I have to sneak away? It's not right."

Charlotte looked at her feet before catching his eyes and holding them.

"Do I get a say in this?"

"Yes, of course you do."

"Then, let's both think about it and talk about it next time you visit."

He sighed and looked over her shoulder at Cassandra who was now coloring in pink.

"Fair enough - can I visit for awhile?"

Charlotte smiled.

"Sure."

The sun was painting the horizon orange and red as it sank when he finally tore himself away from a sleepy Cassandra. She was an intense, artistic and unusually serious child. It was a joy to be around her simply because she didn't act like a normal eight-year-old. She held intelligent conversation and seemed to study her world thoroughly. He'd promised her he'd visit on his next leave and could tell she was sad he was going despite the fact that she didn't cry or throw a fit at his departure. He'd given Charlotte a fistful of cubits, refusing to take them back when she protested. The drive home was much more pleasant than the one to city had been. In his guilt he'd had one of those moments where the flaws of his life suddenly became painfully apparent, so the lie served its purpose in the respect that it made him take the blinders off. He was determined to do right by his daughter; Anne would have to understand that.

Bill Adama again occupied his car en route to the city. He sped out of worry - Charlotte's phone was disconnected. The drive seemed to take forever, and the restless feeling haunting him didn't subside when he pulled up in front of Charlotte's apartment. The windows were empty and the porch deserted by its toy occupants. Panic replaced restless as he ran to the window and peered in.

"She's gone."

A woman's voice said simply from behind him. He reeled around and found a severe black woman with her hands on her hips.

"What?"

He breathed in disbelief.

"She left - about a week ago - what's it to you anyway?"

"Where did she go?"

He asked desperately, ignoring the woman's question.

"I don't know and even if I did I wouldn't make it public - I manage the apartments, not the people - as long as they pay their rent I don't care what they do."

She shot him an accusing stare before walking away. He sank onto the porch with a defeated sigh. He suddenly felt very numb, his surroundings seem to spin. His first feeling as he recovered from his initial shock was a hot tear rolling down his cheek. She was gone, just gone - his heart broke as the realization swept over him. He walked back to his car and rested his head against the steering wheel. A thousand reasons why this was his fault swarmed his mind and overwhelmed him causing him to sob angrily. She was gone. Even if they didn't have a week's head start, the chances of finding them in the populations of the twelve colonial star systems was a distinct impossibility - no, Charlotte didn't want to be found.


	2. Resistencia

Disclaimer: See Chapter One

A/N: I've really obsessed over assumptions and guesses I've had to make while writing this story – it really began to interfere with my creativity. I've realized that, while the details are important, I'm not getting paid to do this, I'm doing it because I'm obsessed with a great TV show. The point is, I'm trying to be less anal retentive so I can post/share more of my stories(there's a lot more than two!).

Ammonite you're awesome! Thanks for the resources and the patience!

Thanks for the reviews AproditeRoslin and laurie31!

This is a series of scenes set between events in the mini-series – I didn't see the point in filling in details you all already know.

_**Alas Rotas**_

_Chapter Two: Resistencia _

_Funeral of Zak Adama_

He wouldn't have noticed her if it hadn't been for her great, long legs, but there she was standing among the headstones some distance away. Saul didn't direct too much attention to her, after all it was his best friend's son's funeral. As the service ended and all but the closest family began to disperse, he glanced over again to where the woman had been standing. She'd moved in closer and was now standing only a few feet away. He couldn't resist – he had to know who this woman was. He approached her and she lifted her head, revealing her face from beneath the large brim of her hat.

"Hello, Saul."

He immediately regretted checking out her legs.

"Cassandra – what are you doing here?"

It was definitely Cassandra – a grown-up, gorgeous Cassandra – her face a beautiful echo of Zak's.

"It's good to see you too."

She said shortly raising an eyebrow.

"He doesn't need this right now – did Charlotte send you?"

"My mother's been dead for three years – what's wrong with you?"

She was confused now, her sunny demeanor had changed. What did she expect from him?

"What's wrong with _me_? What do you think you're doing showing up like this? And at his son's funeral."

Cassandra's face saddened.

"Why are you doing this? I haven't seen him in ten years – I didn't even know about Zak until I got in town – I just want my father back."

"Yeah, well he doesn't want you back – Charlotte running off with you was the best thing that could have happened. He moved on. He's been better off without you and your mother mucking up his life."

Saul snapped the words at her and each one seemed to land a blow on Cassandra. Tears began streaming down her face but she didn't speak. There was something in her eyes, a dangerous light – she knew he was lying and he could see anger burning through her tears. She was torn between slapping him and punching him, but decided to do neither and walked away.

_Two Years Later Colonial Heavy 713, docking with the Battlestar _Galactica

A pretty, blonde-haired woman sat reading a file spread across her neatly crossed legs. She couldn't have been more than twenty years old but was dressed professionally and had the demeanor of someone twice her age. She seemed sad, like it'd been a long time since a smile had graced her serious face. The captain's voice addressing the nearly empty cabin made the woman look up thoughtfully for a moment.

"_Attention passengers, we are now docked with _Galactica_, prepare to disembark shortly."_

The woman tucked the file she'd been reading into a briefcase that'd been occupying the seat beside her. She unbuckled and stood up flattening the skirt of her soft gray suit. She was the only passenger to do so, as _Galactica_ was only her destination.

Commander Adama had fiercely resisted Command putting a civilian on his ship. Maybe it was why that bothered him – she was a historian and was designing the museum that was soon to be placed in _Galactica's_ starboard flight pod – they were decommissioning his ship. Now he waited on the hangar deck to greet a Miss. Clark – a courtesy he'd been ordered to perform personally. Now he watched as a tall, light-haired woman stepped off the civilian transport. She was dressed neatly and her hair was pulled into a tight bun. She was easily his height, her small heels adding very little. Her face was serious as she approached him and offered her hand.

"You must be Commander Adama – good to meet you."

"Welcome to _Galactica_ Miss.Clark"

He took her hand and shook it – something about her face was familiar, he paused and peered into her brown eyes momentarily before dismissing the thought.

"I must say, I was resistant to your coming here."

"So was I Commander – but I promise, you'll hardly know I'm here."

She answered shortly, as if she wanted the conversation to end.

"If you'll come this way I'll show you to guest quarters -"

"Thats ok, I know the way and I'm sure you have better things to do than play tour guide."

She didn't give him a chance to ask how she knew, before walking briskly away. He let her go a few steps before catching up and falling instep beside her.

"Miss?"

"Commander."

She was, indeed, headed for the guest quarters. They walked in silence as he'd been unable to come up with an appropriate follow up other than 'Who the hell do you think you are?' and he wasn't sure that'd go over so well. The sound of her heels clicking on the metal deck was now drowning in the bustle of activity in the corridors. Many of the crew they passed glanced away from their work when they saw their Commander walking alongside the pretty civilian – although most of their eyes were focused on her. They reached her cabin and stepped inside.

"The deck crews will bring your bags up."

He said shortly before exiting the room without reply from her. The events that had just unfolded puzzled him – he grown accustomed to intimidating the civilian visitors to his ship – even taken pride in it. He didn't seem to phase this woman – a fact that wounded his ego.

_One year later – the morning before _Galactica's _decommissioning ceremony_

"What you do is nothing short of amazing Miss.Clark."

Laura Roslin, Secretary of Education, stood admiring the former flight pod - turned museum. Her aide, Billy Keikeya and the public relations man, Aron Doral, stood watching just inside the entrance. Clark smiled warmly.

"Thank you, Madam Secretary, but it _is_ my job and I'm not quite done with it."

"Really, I was under the impression that the museum was completed."

Roslin turned to look at Clark who looked much younger than her personality and job implied.

"The museum itself is done but Commander Adama refused to let me put in any of the new computers or rather he wouldn't let me network the ships existing computers so the new ones would work properly."

Clark was obviously irritated, but remained composed.

"I'll talk to him."

"Thank you, I'm sure whoever they get to finish up will appreciate that."

"I thought this was your project."

"Pardon me for saying so, but I've been on this ship for a year, I'm ready to go home and once you meet the Commander you will be too."

Roslin chuckled and returned Clark's smile

"It was a pleasure to see you again Madam Secretary, but if you'll excuse me, I have some packing to do."

"It was nice to see you too Miss. Clark – oh, and thanks for the warning."

Clark returned her grin

"I think you can handle him."

Roslin was left in the enormous flight pod, wondering just how well she could handle _Galactica's _notoriously gruff Commander.

_Colonial Heavy 798 en route to Caprica_

Roslin was surprised to see the tall Miss. Clark board the transport. Roslin caught her eye and motioned for her to take the seat across from her. She and the historian were actually well acquainted, in fact she'd recommended her for the job. Cassandra Clark was the youngest teacher on Caprica, she'd started teaching two years ago at the age of eighteen. She tested as a genius and rapidly accelerated through school, graduating college at the age of seventeen. She was extremely mature and exceptionally modest despite the fact that she was smarter than most of the people she worked with.

"Thanks Laura, I was afraid I was going to have to sit with the press corps – I've managed to evade them this long."

"This may not be the safest place for you then."

The women exchanged grins.

"I'm afraid I wasn't very successful in convincing Commander Adama to change his mind about the network, Cass."

Cassandra waved her hand.

"Don't worry about it, they'll eventually retire Adama too, then we'll get our computers."

"I get the impression you're not very fond of the Commander."

"I just found him hard to work with."

"I've always found the military difficult to work with."

Laura gave Cassandra a friendly smile before a comfortable silence settled over the two tired women. Laura discreetly watched the younger woman – there was very little she knew about Cassandra personally. She was the adopted daughter of former Saggitaron Quorum member Thomas Clark who'd become her only parent after his wife Charlotte's death when Cassandra was fifteen. She loved history and was a gifted musician. She also wasn't a natural blonde – Laura had known her since she was sixteen and knew her to be naturally brown-haired and blue-eyed. Laura brushed the thought aside – she was still young – gods know how many times she'd changed her own look when she was Cassandra's age. Although they'd had engaging conversation, Laura couldn't help but think that there was some part of her that she went to great lengths to conceal.


	3. El Ligero y la Obscuridad

_Disclaimer: See Chapter One_

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone, normally I'd respond personally but I recently was promoted and haven't checked my e-mail in forever. I also have two small children, so between work and home I have little time to devote to this fandom. I promise more chapters are in the works – thanks so much for any patience you all are willing to give me._

_Spoiler warning for Mini Series _

_**Alas Rotas**_

_Chapter Three: El Ligero y la Obscuridad_

Colonial Heavy 798_ en route to Caprica_

Laura opened the lavatory door to find Cassandra, hands resting on her hips.

"You gonna tell me what's going on?"

She probed firmly. Laura's mind raced, looking for a suitable lie.

"I've been queasy since we left _Galactica_ – too much traveling – it's nothing."

Cassandra didn't believe her but graciously left it alone.

"Ok."

The captain speaking to the passengers in the cabin interrupted their conversation.

"Do you know what's going on?"

Laura asked.

"No"

Cassandra hadn't been paying attention. The two women stepped further into the cabin trying to listen, but only caught the end of the conversation. They took their seats and looked to Billy for an explanation. He shook his head.

"Some kind of emergency on Caprica – that's all he could tell us."

They fell silent but the uncertainty that comes with not knowing remained, heavy on their minds.

Cassandra slept in the seat beside her and Billy was talking but Laura has ceased listening and was instead staring out the porthole. Someone was listening to a news report on their wireless.

"_Reports have been unclear, but indicate explosions of significant magnitude over many major cities on Caprica – no reports yet as to casualties or damage..."_

The man on the wireless suddenly had Laura's full attention. Billy had stopped talking and was listening intently with the rest of the cabin.

"I'm going to go see what's going on – wake Cassandra up."

Laura rose and headed for the cabin. Billy's mind was reeling. He set his papers aside and gently shook Cassandra's arm, stirring her.

"What's going on?"

She asked groggily.

"Somethings happened on Caprica – something bad."

He replied. The concern on her face quickly matched his own.

"What cities?"

She asked tears forming in her eyes.

"It seems some of the major ones."

A lump formed in her throat. Her stepfather was attending a conference in Caprica City – he was really all the family she had left. Billy moved into the seat next to her an awkwardly put his arm around her.

"It's gonna be ok."

He said, feeling every word was a lie. He let the numbed silence settle not feeling a need to pursue further conversation.

Laura stepped out into the cabin – the weight of what she had to do seemed to pull her closer to the floor making each step difficult. She caught Billy's eye and motioned for him to stand with her. He pulled himself from Cassandra and stood beside her. The words came out of her mouth but she still didn't believe them. Their homes and families, gone. She struggled to push aside her own fear and grief – she had to be strong for the sake of these people. She looked to Cassandra as the passengers jumped out of their seats shouting questions, she was visibly shaking but stared numbly at the floor. She pulled her attention back to the cabin. She couldn't answer their questions only calm them down and put them to work.

"Wait a minute, who put you in charge?"

It was Aron Doral. _What a great time to be an arrogant jerk. _She thought, just barely resisting the urge to say it out loud.

"Well, that's a good question. The answer is no one."

She gripped the paper in her hand.

"But this is a government ship and I am the senior government official, so that _puts _me in charge – so why don't you help me out, and go down into the cargo area and see about setting it up as a living space?"

She didn't give the man a chance to respond

"Everyone else, _please_ try and stay calm."

She pulled Billy aside and handed him another piece of paper.

"This is the passenger manifest."

He took it, his hand shaking.

"Are you alright?"

She asked, meeting his gaze. He straitened a little.

"Yeah – My Parents moved to Picon two moths ago to be closer to my sisters and their families..."

Laura sighed but refused to let the pain show on her face.

"Madame Secretary – we've got your comm link"

She nodded acknowledgment at Capitan Russo before turning back to Billy and placing a hand on his arm.

"Get Cassandra to help you with this."

He nodded and she hurried away to the cockpit. Billy found his way back to Cassandra who was nothing short of devastated.

"I could use your help."

He said, trying to keep his voice from shaking.

"Sure"

She replied her own effort failing. They barely began work when the Raider was spotted. Their escort zoomed off to meet their enemy. Little could be seen from the small portholes but the explosions were easily recognizable. The entire cabin seemed to gasp simultaneously and questions began to fly, was that their escort or the Raider? To everyones relief the soon discovered that their escort had, in fact survived. Cassandra felt a small amount of amusement at the comfort everyone felt with their Viper escort. His ship was forty years old, a Mark Two; the Mark Seven, now that was a ship worthy of comfort. Her compliments to the pilot though, it was more than luck that saved them from those Cylon missiles.

Lee found himself standing before a red-head, wrapped in a blanket. She was talking quietly with the captain of the transport. He'd half-expected her to be over-emotional and panicked and was almost pleased to see her command of the situation. Her two aides, a tall dark-haired man and a pretty blond woman, were taking instruction from her. He wouldn't have noticed if the blond wasn't standing next to him, but she was staring at him as if she knew him. He caught her eyes and she looked away quickly, leaning down to talk to the other aide seated beside her. He quickly dismissed the sense of familiarity that came from the woman and turned his attention back to Ms. Roslin, who was now giving him instructions.

Cassandra followed the Viper pilot as he entered the cabin, forgetting that she was staring.

"Who is that?"

She asked Billy in a whisper.

"Captain Lee Adama – our escort."

He answered, only half paying attention to her. Cassandra's eyes went back to the pilot. _My brother._ She thought, the words washing over her like a tidal wave. She hadn't known of her two half-brothers until two years ago when she went to Caprica looking for her father and found him in the middle of a tragedy. She saw some of herself in the pilot, in fact a lot of herself. He glanced at her and she instantly withdrew, wanting more than anything to disappear into the bulkhead.

Laura nearly laughed. What a sight it must have been, her and Cassandra crammed into the tiny lavatory.

"There."

Cassandra said. Laura looked in the mirror, she was right, a little make-up went a long way to brighten up a tired face. It felt shallow, putting on make-up as the world was ending, but Cassandra had insisted and Laura had agreed for her sake.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

The two women made their way out to the cabin and there was soon a circle of reporters and passengers surrounding Laura. Cassandra found herself standing behind Laura with Billy on one side and Lee on the other. She tried to ignore the urge to disappear that was surfacing due to her brother's proximity, but it quickly became overwhelming. She reached out for Billy's hand and clasped it hard, looking for something to anchor her and redirect her attention back to her friend who was becoming President of the Twelve Colonies.

Cassandra drowned herself in running errands for the new President. Anything to clear her mind. It was just too much at once and keeping busy seemed the only way to keep from breaking down. She poured over passenger manifests and supply lists. Now that they'd encountered the _Geminon Liner_ there were more people and supplies to account for and ration appropriately. She sat hunched over the piles of printouts her mind slipping in and out of actually paying attention to what she was doing.

"You ok?"

Laura's voice startled her out of her latest daydream (although nightmare would have been more appropriate.)

"Yeah – I uh, just need to keep busy."

"Ok – I really appreciate what you're doing."

Laura gave her a smile before returning to the cockpit. Cassandra once again leaned over the papers. Minutes later her dazed state was interrupted by Lee running aft. Panic soon swept through the passengers as they spotted the Raiders approaching them. Moments later Cassandra saw and felt the blinding blast that propelled her head into the table before her, and then nothing.

Laura's relief faded into concern when she stepped back into the cabin and found Billy and several passengers standing around Cassandra. Billy was in the seat next to her gently shaking her arm. Cassandra was sprawled over the table and Laura could see a small cut on her forehead where her head had obviously collided with something solid.

"Wait, don't move her."

Lee said pushing past Laura who had begun to rush to Cassandra's side. Capitan Russo cleared the passengers. Laura watched as Lee checked her pulse and began talking to her softly.

"What's her name?"

He asked.

"Cassandra."

Laura answered. She saw her eyes flutter open as Lee continued to talk to her and relief washed over her. They slowly sat her up and she put a shaking hand to her forehead. Lee surrendered his seat to Laura.

"I only have field medical training – but I think she might have a concussion – we should try to find a doctor."

He said stopping her before she sat down.

"Thank you Captain."

She sat down and tried to catch Cassandra's eyes. She couldn't focus and kept looking around.

"Find someone to sit with her Billy – as soon as the _Geminon Liner_ is evacuated we'll try to find someone with medical training."

She hated to leave her, but she had work to do and so did Billy.

Cassandra eventually began to come around – it amazed Laura that, even with a head injury, Cassandra could run circles around most of them; advantage of being a genius. She worked quietly, Laura's appointed guardian (a nursing student), keeping watch. Weariness was beginning to creep over them as they worked to meet the needs of the growing fleet.

Billy and Cassandra were still there, everyone else had stormed away in frustration or anger at her order to Jump. She seemed to be in a fog, she never thought she'd give an order like that – although, she never thought she'd be President either. There must be something wrong though, because they were still there.

"I have cancer."

She blurted out. She didn't know what possessed her.

"I know."

Billy said after a pause. She looked to Cassandra who looked like she just been struck. They both seemed so full of pain and sorrow – burdens people their age shouldn't have to carry.

"Little things you said or did."

He added. Laura looked away from them.

"My prognosis is doubtful – I wish I could say it was the least of my worries. But the world is coming to an end and all I can think about is that I have cancer and I'm probably going to die – How selfish is that?"

They barely seemed to breath and Cassandra was nearly in tears.

"It's not selfish – it's human."

He paused before putting his arm around Cassandra's shoulders and walking away.

Her mind didn't want to focus and right now she was glad as she listened to the frantic voices of the people they were leaving behind. Laura seemed far away, but Cassandra didn't think she wanted company. She watched her friend from across the cabin and tears welled up in her eyes. She let them spill for the first time since the news of the attacks – it was just too much at once.

_Battlestar _Galactica _in orbit around Ragnar Anchorage_

Laura stepped off _Colonial One_ onto _Galactica's _hangar deck followed by Billy and Cassandra. As she stepped off the stairs she heard a commotion and turned to see Cassandra falling into Billy's arms. He scooped her up and finished descending the stairs.

"We need some help!"

Laura called to the deckhands. Billy had knelt on the deck, supporting Cassandra against his knee. Laura brushed the hair back from her forehead to get a look at her cut and found a large purple bruise surrounding the cut just at her hairline. Several deckhands were soon at her side.

"She hit her head – she needs medical attention."

Laura said, trying not to sound panicked.

"Yes, sir."

A male deckhand took her gently from Billy and the party began to move once more.

"Excuse me, sir."

Another deckhand asked, addressing Laura.

"Should I tell Colonel Tigh that you'll be delayed?"

He continued having gained her attention. Laura was jerked back into the reality of her duty, and noted painfully that she had a job to do.

"No, it's urgent that we meet now."

She replied, giving Billy a sidelong glance.

"Very well, sir – if you'll follow me, you can wait in the Ward Room."

Laura and Billy separated from Cassandra and followed the deckhand to _Galactica's _Ward Room.

Major Cottle groaned as a deckhand stepped through Sickbay's hatch carrying a blond woman.

"What's the matter with her?"

He asked gruffly as they searched for somewhere to lay her down.

"She was on the transport that just docked, sir – she hit her head yesterday, passed out just now on the Hangar Deck."

"Thank you Specialist, that'll be all."

"Yes, sir."

Cottle began taking the woman's vitals. He motioned for a tech and they pulled her jacket and shoes off. She was a pretty, professional-looking woman so Cottle was surprised to find a nautical star tattooed on each hip. He pulled the lids of her eyes up to check her pupils and found contacts that had begun to irritate her eyes, probably because she'd been wearing them too long.

"Get her into a gown, and take her contacts out – we need to do a brain scan on her."

He instructed the female tech.

Laura pulled herself away from duty long enough to check on Cassandra. She brushed a stray hair away from her face.

"Can I help you?"

A gruff voice said from behind. She turned to face the source and found an older man in a lab coat holding a clipboard.

"Yes, she – Cassandra – she's my aide, I wanted to see how she was doing."

Cottle paused sizing up the woman before him. _So this is the new President._ He thought.

"Yes, a young man came by earlier and gave me her information. She suffered a concussion – I've got her sedated right now – she needs rest to give her brain a chance to heal but she should be alright.

"I'm glad to hear that, um, Doctor -"

"Cottle. I'm _Galactica's_ Chief Medical Officer."

"Laura Roslin, President of the Colonies."

She replied extending a hand which he took and shook firmly.

"So I heard – you should have you aide back in a few days Madame President – if you'll excuse me."

He nodded and backed out of the cubicle. Laura was surprised by his respect, gruff as it was. The man had an almost rude nature to him, but he was the first member of _Galactica's _crew to address her as 'Madame President' rather than 'Ms. Roslin', and right now she'd take respect in any form. She turned her attention back to Cassandra. The harsh lights washed her skin out and made her seem so pale. The large bruise on her head seemed to stand out, ugly and dark.

"I'll be back."

She said softly, not really expecting Cassandra to hear her. She buried her feelings and straitened up before leaving the cubicle and joining her armed escort assigned to take her back to _Colonial One_. She had mixed feelings about leaving her behind on _Galactica _while they made their escape. It clouded her thoughts as they ascended through the storm in tow behind _Galactica_, and as they jumped away to safety she wondered if she would ever see her again.

Relief. Not only at the sight of the ship carrying a friend but the knowledge that there was still some one there to keep them safe.

Commander Adama had to admire the strength of Laura Roslin. It'd been a rough couple of days – for everyone – and she was taking it like a pro. Whatever grief or fear she was experiencing she hid well, and he could understand and respect that, especially in a leader. They had an understanding now it seemed, she'd keep his secret (their secret now), she'd lead the civilians and he'd lead the military – they each seemed to have satisfied the others temporary demands. She paused at his hatch.

"Was there something else?"

He asked. She turned. He didn't mean to notice, but underneath her leader's mask was a soft pretty face and just now vulnerability was showing in the dim light of his quarters and he felt something that caused him to quickly jerk his eyes away from her.

"Yes – I'd like to check on my aide, she's in your Sickbay."

"Your escort will show you the way."

Was she asking his permission? He couldn't tell but appreciated the gesture.

"Thank you Commander."

"Madame President."

He felt guilty as he stole another glance at her as she stepped out the hatch. He sank onto his couch with a sigh. _He must have hit me harder than I thought. _He mused, almost scolding himself for checking out the President. He was going to have to work closely with her for a long time – they were responsible for the survival of humanity now.


	4. Mentiras

_Disclaimer: See Chapter One, "Broken Wings" lyrics from Alter Bridge album One Day Remains_

_A/N: I'm trying very hard to keep this from reading like a soap opera, but I don't think I'm succeeding – it's all good though! I promise more A/R but it's going to stay subtle for awhile, after all the man has bigger problems to work through right now!_

_Spoiler Warning for "33"_

_**Alas Rotas**_

_Chapter Four: Mentiras_

_Fight the fight alone_

_When the world is full of victims_

_Dim is a fading light in our souls_

_**Day One**_

_Colonial One_

A new terror had settled over the fleet. It was different from that initial fear that gripped them as their homes and families were wiped from existence. This was terror. Whatever sense of safety they'd taken with them as they fled was violently violated as the Cylons continued to find them. The initial attack had been frightening but they quickly Jumped away to safety and the fear subsided once more. But then, there they were again and again, no rest, just Jumping over and over again. Their first day of exile was coming to a close but they were haggard and weary – how long could they live like this? The doubts easily settled over Laura Roslin as she looked out the small porthole of _Colonial One_, the once-comforting sight of the massive battlestar _Galactica_ only veiled the darkness that grew in her mind. She tried to think of home – then sun would be setting over Caprica City right now – whatever was left – the darkness returned as she thought of her neighbors and friends laying in heaps where they worked and played. She angrily shook the image out her mind and glanced to the clock that was counting down the thirty-three minute cycles that now ruled their lives. _Maybe this time. _She thought to herself as the clock began to buzz furiously. She felt the cabin's passengers collectively hold their breath as they waited for the alarms. She felt their hearts sink as the signal that they were still hunted sounded and the kind passenger liner's captain warned of the imminent faster-than-light jump. _Maybe next time. _She thought, the words seeming false as they formed in her mind. She felt the displacement of the Jump and braced herself against her desk even though it wasn't necessary.

_Battlestar _Galactica

Cassandra walked quietly through _Galactica's _corridors. She'd been allowed out at the beginning of the cycle on the promise that she'd be back in Sickbay before the Jump. She missed Laura and Billy. She felt very alone on _Galactica _despite the fact that there were two thousand people on board. She'd been sedated for nearly two days and almost felt guilty as she pushed past the exhausted crew members in the corridors. The constant attacks had seemed to drain everyone. She easily found her way to CIC and located Commander Adama standing over charts on the Situation Table. "Commander Adama?" She asked, approaching him.

He looked up long enough to identify her and returned his attention to his charts. "Ms. Clark." He responded shortly.

She couldn't help but feel a stab of pain at his almost unfriendly greeting. "I was wondering -"

"I'm sorry, but you can't leave _Galactica _yet – it's just not safe." He interrupted.

"I know that – I was wondering if there was anything I could do to help."

_You can stay out of the way._ He thought almost viciously. He didn't mean to be unkind, but the woman had made a bad impression on him the moment she stepped off her transport a year ago. Maybe she was trying to help though - and he couldn't turn that down. He sighed slightly and finally looked at the woman and was surprised when his eyes connected with gray-blue ones. They seemed so familiar the words caught in his throat.

"Are you ok?" She asked.

He didn't answer but glanced over her face. He noticed for the first time that she wasn't a blond, he could see the dark roots in the part of her hair. _The funeral. _He thought suddenly. _She was at the funeral. _

"Commander?" She asked , searching his eyes for an explanation of his behavior.

"You were at my son's funeral." He blurted out.

Her heart nearly stopped. "Really?" She choked out.

"I remember seeing you talking to Saul."

Her mind raced, searching for something, anything to throw him off this line of conversation. "I'm sorry Commander, but I think you've mistaken me for someone else." She replied, trying to sound sincere.

"Maybe." He said after a pause, looking back down to his charts. "Do you know anything about _Galactica's _computers?"

He'd changed the subject but her heart still pounded in her chest. "Yeah – I know the system well." She said softly, the sound of her own voice seeming to roar in her ears.

"Lieutenant Gaeta," He began, pointing to a dark-haired man leaned over a console. "has been having trouble with our Jump computer, I think a fresh perspective on the problem would help."

"Absolutely, I'll see what I can do Commander."

He didn't look up but heard her walk away. _I know her – I'm sure of it._ He thought. Every detail of Zak's funeral was burned into his mind, as if he wasn't allowed to let it go. She was there; there'd been something about her face that, even from a distance, he'd found strikingly familiar – he'd dismissed the feeling for two years, it was just another painful detail meant to torment him. Now here she was again, close enough for him to touch.

"Commander?" Dee's voice jerked him back to the present.

"Yes?" He responded.

"Major Cottle's on the line – he's looking for one of his patients – a Miss. Clark."

"Tell him she's assisting us in CIC."

"Yes, sir."

Cassandra looked up at the mention of her name and watched the exchange before turning her attention back to Lieutenant Gaeta.

_**Day Two**_

Galactica _CIC_

Cassandra shook her head slightly, trying to clear the fog from the screen before her. She'd been up all night trying to rewrite the Jump computer's subroutines. It hadn't been designed for continuous use and the program was beginning to corrupt, vastly reducing the speed in which it reacted to commands. It was taking her much longer to complete because she only had thirty minutes to complete a few lines of code and restart the system so the ship could Jump. She was almost done. She glanced at the clock – six minutes, plenty of time. She typed quickly, racing against the Cylons and at one minute remaining she entered the final lines of code. She'd have to reboot the entire system for the new program to take effect, something she didn't have time to do, but it could wait until the next cycle.

"Done" She said out loud glancing sideways at Lieutenant Gaeta.

"With the whole rewrite?"

"Yep"

"You rewrote the _entire _Jump program in one night?"

"Yep." She couldn't help but smile at his surprise.

"How?"

"They tell me that I'm some kind of genius." She winked at the Lieutenant causing him to flush slightly. The moment didn't last long as the timer ran out and alarms began to sound. Cassandra quickly jumped into action – she'd been having to nurse the old program for the last few Jumps. She was horrified to find that the computer hadn't accepted the Jump calculations. "Oh, my Gods." She breathed.

The ship was rocked by a missile hit and she gripped the console to keep from tumbling from her seat.

"All civilian ships away!" She heard Dee call over the alarms. Commander Adama began to call out the system checks.

"FTL!" He called.

She typed faster. Error. _Shit._

"FTL!" He called again.

"Negative!" She called back trying desperately to get the program to work.

"What!" He'd crossed the room and was over her shoulder in what felt like a second. "What the hell did you do?" He hissed. The ship was hit by another missile.

"Nothing – the program won't accept the calculations." She felt Lieutenant Gaeta at her other shoulder.

"We'll have to input them manually." Gaeta added.

"And how long will that take?" Adama asked, turning his attention to Gaeta.

"Thirty minutes" Gaeta choked out.

"We don't have thirty minutes Lieutenant."

"I know that, I -"

"It won't take me that long – gimme the numbers." Cassandra interrupted, halting the argument.

"But -" Gaeta began to argue.

"NOW!" Cassandra roared turning heads throughout CIC despite the din of the battle. Gaeta quickly grabbed his calculations and brought them to Cassandra. Her fingers flew over the keyboard as she entered the data.

"What if you – if you're off by just -"

"Shut up Lieutenant!" She snapped. She closed her mind to the noise. There was only the code before her. Jump coordinates accepted. System ready.

"Done!"

"Execute Jump!" Adama ordered, casting a harsh glance at each of them before walking away. Cassandra held her breath as the ship folded into space. The only sounds of battle left were the various alarms.

"Dradis contacts – Colonial signals confirmed." Gaeta reported, the relief obvious in his voice. Cassandra sighed deeply.

"Start the clock."

Cassandra felt a hand heavy on her shoulder. "Take a walk with me Miss. Clark." Adama said sternly. She felt like a child in trouble. "You have the deck Colonel." He said as he exited CIC with Cassandra in tow.

"Commander I didn't -"

"Don't talk, just walk." He silenced her quickly and she walked in silence beside him. He seemed diminished to her, more than just age and grief, but then again all fathers seem larger than life to young children and she'd missed a lot. They stopped in front of the hatch to his quarters, she'd guessed that was their destination. During the year she spent aboard she'd never been inside and couldn't help but look around.

"Have a seat." He said. She obeyed it like it was and order and stared at her hands in her lap.

"I want to know _exactly _what you did just now."

"It might take longer than thirty minutes to explain."

Anger rose in him, this woman had endangered his ship and she was coping an attitude. "I suggest you figure out a way." He snapped.

She sighed, she partially understood his anger, from his point of view in looked like she'd done something that endangered _Galactica. _"I assume Lieutenant Gaeta told you that we were rewriting the entire Jump program?"

"Yes."

"It wasn't designed for excessive use like this and the program began to degrade with each use."

"He explained that to me."

"I spent most of last night and this morning writing a new program that wouldn't degrade, I finished just before this last attack so I didn't have time to reboot the system and implement the program."

"You still haven't told me what happened."

His impatience got to her and she stood and replied more sharply than she meant. "What happened had nothing to do with _my _program – it was the old one failing – if you had Jumped you could have re-emerged in pieces, or in the middle of a planet." Her eyes flashed. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go install the new program before we have company again." She brushed past him and exited the room. What was it about her that got under his skin? Although he'd probably been a little too hostile with her – she _was_ trying to help and, according to Lieutenant Gaeta, she was brilliant.

_**Day Three**_

Colonial One

Laura felt her head become heavy in her palm and jerked it up, closing her eyes quickly to slow the room's spinning. Two days with nearly no sleep, it was a limit she'd rather not have tested. She could barely concentrate and jumped when the phone buzzed.

"Madame President?"

"Yes, Billy?"

"It's Commander Adama."

"Ok." She picked up the line "Yes, Commander."

"_How are you doing Madame President?"_

The question caught her off-guard. "I'm, uh, good considering, how about you Commander?"

"_Good considering."_

He fell silent and she began to wonder if called for another reason besides to ask her how she was.

"_Your aide, Miss. Clark has been a great help."_

"I'm glad to hear that."

"_She's quite a handful."_

Again he caught her off-guard. "Excuse me Commander?"

"_Frankly, she's got an attitude."_

"Really, I've never noticed that about her." _Maybe she just doesn't like you. _She heard him exhale. "Commander, she's only twenty years old, she's still a child, but she carries adult burdens."

"_Yes, I know that she's very intelligent – ."_

"What exactly did she do?"

"_It's not about one thing it's about her attitude as a whole – I just wanted to know more about her."_

"I can understand that, she's trustworthy, dependable – I've known her for about four years and I consider her a friend."

"_Thank you, Madame President, I'm sorry to have bothered you."_

"Anytime Commander." She put the phone down with a slight smile. She felt like a parent giving someone permission to discipline her child. _I wonder what she did._ She thought with another smile.

_**Day Four**_

Galactica – _Commander Adama's quarters_

It had to be the exhaustion that was driving his mind to rehash the past but he couldn't get the funeral out of his head or Miss. Clark's presence there. The image of her talking to Saul became clearer the more he fixated on it. She'd been dressed for a funeral. Her waist-length brown hair blew back away from her face in the breeze. She'd glanced his way before she walked away and there had been something so familiar about her.

"What's on your mind Bill?" Saul's voice brought him back to the presence.

"Does Miss. Clark seem at all familiar to you?"

"What?"

"The woman who designed the museum, she's works for Roslin now."

"To be honest I never really paid that much attention to her. Why?"

"She looks like a woman I saw you talking to a Zak's funeral."

Saul was suddenly paying complete attention to him. He didn't think Bill had seen Cassandra. "That woman was a brunette." He said, recovering quickly.

"Miss. Clark isn't a natural blond."

"Bill, you've barely slept in four days and your eyes are playing tricks on you."

"No – it's the same woman I'm sure of it." Adama got up and stormed out of his quarters leaving Saul behind. He followed after a few minutes resolving to take a good look at this woman that was giving Bill so much grief.

_**Day Five**_

Galactica _CIC_

Cassandra's head dropped onto Lieutenant Gaeta's shoulder. He gently shook her off.

"Wake up." He said softly. It was taking both of them to just make the Jump calculations now.

"Sorry Lieutenant."

"Call me Felix." He blurted out.

"Ok, then call me Cassandra" She gave him a smile that made him blush a little. He liked her and, although he'd never admit it, he was wildly attracted to her.

Colonel Tigh watched Gaeta and Cassandra from across the CIC. It was definitely Cassandra and she was flirting with the young Lieutenant. How did he not notice her? What he did know was that it was time for part of Bill's grief to come to an end – it was the end of everything, he had a right to know his daughter and she had a right to be with her father. He was willing to pay the price for his actions two years ago.

The clocks counted down their final seconds and the fleet prepared for jump 236. It had become so routine that no one really gave instructions anymore, everyone knew what to do. They hadn't had a night's sleep in five days now. The Cylons attacked, as usual, and, as usual, _Galactica_ held them off while the civilians Jumped away before Jumping away herself. Civilian ships were accounted for. The clock was restarted. They were getting slower though. It took them longer to react and many of the civilian ship were experiencing engine trouble. Cassandra had stopped leaving the CIC to rest, she just folded her arms and lay her head down on the panel before her.

_Laura sat in the large seat of the passenger liner, her feet tucked beneath her. She looked lost and alone._

"_Laura?" Cassandra smiled warmly at her before taking the seat beside her. "I guess it's Madame President from now on." She added, elbowing her playfully. Her face fell when Laura failed to react._

"_What am I doing Cass?" Laura asked without looking up._

"_Your duty." She replied, hoping Laura could find comfort in a simple answer. _

_It never ceased to amaze Laura how driven by duty and honor the younger woman was. Cassandra sighed heavily – frustrated by her friend's unwillingness to tell her what was going on. She placed her hand lightly over Laura's causing the older woman to finally show her tear filled eyes._

"_You still have a choice Laura, no one would blame you if you decided to step down, but that's not you. You could become emotional and overbearing and loose all objectivity – no one would blame you for that, but that's not you either. If I were you I'd stick with what you know."_

Cassandra's head shot up. "I have an idea" She said looking around for Adama. He wasn't in CIC so she got up and practically sprinted out and down the corridor towards his quarters. She knocked on the hatch.

"Come!"

She heard from within. She opened the hatch and found Adama in his rack.

"I'm sorry to disturb you Commander – but I have an idea for the next Jump."

"What's that." He replied, not getting up.

"What if we split up into groups and Jumped to separate coordinates and then met up on the second Jump?"

She had his attention. "That's good – have you talked with Lieutenant Gaeta about this?"

"No I kinda just thought of it, he wasn't in CIC – I was afraid I'd forget – I'm sorry."

"No, it's ok – discuss it with Gaeta – I want a plan when I get back to the CIC."

"Sure."

He listened to her leave and slipped back into shallow sleep.

They hadn't quite re-emerged from Jump 237 before Cassandra's head was against the console. She listened to the activity around her but her brain seemed slow in processing it. She was suddenly wide awake as Dee called out 'negative' when asked if all civilian vessels were accounted for. Her head shot up and she listened intently.

"Who's missing?"

"The, um _Geminon Traveler_."

Cassandra's hand went to her mouth, she remembered reviewing the passenger manifest for that ship, there were over thirteen hundred people on t. She only grieved briefly before replacing her head on the console, she was too tired to dwell on anything. Adama had been satisfied with her plan and she was waiting for his order to implement it.

Saul was watching Cassandra again, the weight of what he had to do bearing down on him. _Not now – I can't break this to him right now. _He watched her eyes close and crossed the distance between them to wake her up – she was working.

"Hey, wake up." He said, pushing her arm. She didn't move. He craned to see her face and found her eyes open and blood coming out of both nostrils. "Oh, gods." He gasped, panic rising in his chest. "I need a medic!"

"What's wrong?" Adama asked, quickly crossing the room.

"I don't know – I can't wake her -"

The medic pushed past him. They began to work on her and she still didn't move. Her blood had formed a crimson puddle on her arm that was threatening to spill onto the console.

"I'm going with her to see what's going on – contact the President and tell her what's going on." Adama said as they loaded her onto a gurney. He followed as they rushed her away. He noticed as he walked quickly alongside the gurney that the color had washed out of the woman's face. The blood continued to flow slowly from her nose leaving red trails down her cheeks. Adama was pushed out of the way in Sickbay and watched the techs work on her, trying to stay out of the way. When they were done she was hooked up to tubes and wires of all kinds – she wasn't even breathing on her own anymore. Major Cottle approached him, taking his gloves off.

"Her brain is bleeding."

"Why?"

"I'll need to do a thorough scan to determine that."

"Keep me posted." Adama replied before heading back to CIC, they were still in the middle of a crisis after all.


End file.
